Sage 50cloud Accounting Reviews

Pros

I have used this software for 28 years from DOS to version 28. Its always delivered when required and good support when needed.

Cons

Recent prices changes have been a challenge and too much for some cleints.

Alternatives Considered

Xero

Reasons for Switching to Sage 50cloud Accounting

Desktop based and interating with my add in software The Analyser.

Pros

There's so much to like. The interface, although hasn't changed for a number of years, is incredibly easy to use. The screens are quick to move around, and the support, should you need it, is awesome. Really friendly guys on the phone and sympathetic.

Cons

The fact that there isn't a mobile App is disappointing. We have also found that the latest Windows builds are incredibly heavy on the CPU and RAM, which makes for older PCs to be a problem.

Alternatives Considered

Xero

Reasons for Choosing Sage 50cloud Accounting

Our accountant recommended it as she uses it with all her clients.

Switched From

QuickBooks Desktop Pro and Zoho Desk

Reasons for Switching to Sage 50cloud Accounting

The support which our accountant is able to offer us as she uses it, was the main reason.

Pros

How easy it is to manage and use on a daily basis.

Cons

Some days it's a bit slow, especially trying to load past reports or sending out statements.

Pros

Better than chiseling on a stone tablet, though less reliable.

Cons

Oh so many things:
Database is SLOW
No user workflows, cannot require approvals, checks, releases, etc.
No ability to limit access to fields, or to require approvals on data entry
Fields are not updatable in table views and require opening a screen for each item to update.
Finding information in Sage is difficult, must search through multiple screens, reports, or excel spreadsheets to find date
Order data exists in many separate views (SO, PO, WO, Invoice) without a single summary view of status.
Sage50 items do not link – a line on a PO, SO, Quote, etc cannot be clicked to bring up the item card. The ID must be memorized and typed into another window, wasting valuable time
Data import/export from/to Sage50 is time consuming and error prone
Document templates are stored locally and must be manually updated per machine on change.
One time use items or BOMs have to be added to part master to never be removed which clutters system, or have to be entered as a description items which severely limits usability.
Cannot open multiple records when reviewing order history (or item cards, POs, Invoices, etc). Can only have one window for each type open at a time.
No system discount levels
Difficult to determine lead times for an assembly, have to start a pseudo work ticket and still can only determine current part availability that doesn't show when on order parts will arrive
Sage can assign a user to a quote, but has no notifications to tell that user when the quote gets converted, updated, etc
No material traceability, or lot tracking
Routings do not exist – cannot track inventory moves from receipt to, inventory, picking, assembly, QA, etc
Sage50 cannot record who received, assembled, tested, shipped, etc
Cannot attach records or files to built items (final inspection reports, pictures, etc)
Purchase planning is almost non-existent.
Parts cannot undergo true revision.
Changing the item ID results in changing entire system history
Rev changes require creation of new ID and BOM update
BOM changes are labor intensive
BOM changes must occur individually and manually each time a part undergoes revision
Variances are not allowed
Cannot swap parts or revisions for a variance BOM, a complete new BOM must be created and all traveler paperwork reprinted
When moving to a new revision, the old revision must remain in the BOM until consumed which results in Sage reporting the need to purchase the old revision instead of the new revision.
Revision changeover must be manually watched and switched at point of consumption
Sage has a field for “Preferred Vendor ID”, but no additional approved suppliers
Single currency only
Sage50 has updates that come out every year, but they only support the previous years version for another 6 months so you're forced into an upgrade if want any semblance of support (though it doesn't really count as support most of the time).

Pros

Sage 50cloud Accounting is critical to our Company. We selected Sage because of how easy it was to navigate through the site, the reports we could get from it, having the Customer Service Support and having the Webinars to all fall back on if required. I have availed of quite a few of these and they have been so beneficial to me. Having the telephone support is also advantageous and the security of knowing the customer service consultant will stay on the phone with you until your query is resolved.

Cons

The thing I like least about Sage is probably Report Designer. This I think is partially my own fault as I need to maybe learn more about the intricacies of it. A webinar is probably in my near future for this.

Pros

Customer support is great. Always get through to someone who can help solve issues.

Cons

Playing a bad game of catch-up in terms of features and being cloud based.

Pros

History data is valuable for review of trends

Cons

Business practices are unprofessional at best.

Pros

The product is easy to understand for accountants. It is fairly stable with little data corruption (normally). the reporting and layouts are familiar.

Cons

Few add in apps. The bank feeds hardly ever work and the inability to edit transactions means that journals are required to fix errors, resulting in messy ledgers

Pros

Does all I need in one software package with great backup included in price.

Cons

takes time to manually add entries but it works great

Pros

As a user of Sage 50cloud Accounting, where I capture and process accounting information of behalf of my client's business, I do appreciate that there are built in compliance controls that ensure common human errors are prevented. In addition, this software does allow for some customization, such as adding logo or unique design to the invoices.

Cons

I do not have any complaints of Sage 50cloud Accounting as an accounting software.

Pros

I loved this program in that it seemed to be made for accountants, unlike some software that seems to be made for non-accountants. There are a lot of great reports to choose from, and each can be easily formatted to whatever file type you need. The payroll is awesome and easy to use.

Cons

Updates can sometimes cost you functionality, which can be a real problem if you are in the middle of payroll. Payroll information is only available for the current and previous calendar years, which is tough when you are undergoing an audit or due diligence. Some reports have limited time range parameters, so if you have a fiscal year that doesn't fit into those parameters, it can be annoying to run more than one report and combine the information. Also, there was one formula in the tax functions that didn't provide the correct number for some states, you had to enter it manually, which made us provide incorrect information and pay penalties because of it. I tried to do a data transfer from one company in sage to another, and several files were corrupted and didn't make it over. At one point, I needed to have two companies open at once, and the windows did not title which company was which. I literally had to go into the the menu drop down to figure out which company was which. They looked identical, so it was a real pain.

Pros

The software on paper looks impressive, there are many features within Sage that assist the smooth running of the financial side of the business. The ability to run multiple accounts and currencies is ideal for companies that trade internationally. The bank reconcile is straight forward and effective. The reporting options are comprehensive and can be configured to suit the needs of your business.

Cons

What really lets this software down is the implementation. We moved to cloud software to support more remote working and it has been an absolute nightmare. We have had daily issues. Data is continuously 'out of sync' which throws users off the system. We have found that we have lost data which for accounting is just unacceptable and not sustainable. We have lost quotes, invoices, bank reconciliations. Having to get staff to check their data entry and repeat work just defeats the point of having the software and undermines the principles of any book-keeping system.

Pros

Easy to integrate and set up, updates don’t have an effect on the business and haven’t ever been detrimental to the “Day to day running”. Ability to add users as required is massively beneficial, raising orders, invoices and managing accounts/debtors is so simple.

Cons

The frequency which it can freeze by trying to cancel an action, is very poor. Surly “cancel” should do just that.

Pros

Easy to Use.
Ease of implementation.
The flexibility of financial reporting.
A functional software for small uncomplicated businesses.
Integration with core Microsoft applications like Excel makes a good product for analytics export into a spreadsheet.

Cons

It is very basic. And also does not have many capabilities.
Finding Transactions can be a bit Tricky.
Check printing has its own set of problem.
Need to have a fair level of accounting knowledge to use it correctly.

Pros

It is quite straight forward and easy to learn and use. The documents that it outputs are nice looking.

Cons

The one thing I find non appealing since a few updates are the colors of some of the screens. Makes it hard on the eyes and not easy to read some things

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise

Reasons for Switching to Sage 50cloud Accounting

At the time it had better options

Pros

The customer service at Sage is extremely helpful! I have had to call multiple times, and each and every time they patiently help me through my problem. I think it's great if you have a small to medium sized manufacturing business and want something to keep track of everything.

Cons

Comparing the software to QuickBooks, I think there is a lack of efficiency in entering Journal Entries especially when you happen to find a problem that originated in a prior year. Other than that, I think the software is great for recording daily transactions and keeping track of inventory (for small to medium businesses).

Pros

The product is very easy and straightforward to use and meets all our business needs.

Cons

The overall visual look of the software changed several years ago, with the headers etc. changed to a basic grey colour. I personally found this extremely difficult on my eyes, especially when working on the software for several hours a day. This was definitely not an improvement in my opinion.

Pros

Very accurate, reliable ease of use, they are the best yet for small business owners

Cons

The payroll module is a little expensive compared to others

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise

Reasons for Switching to Sage 50cloud Accounting

ease of use, affordability

Pros

The software is fairly user friendly as far as reports and posting goes.

Cons

Every year you have to pay to upgrade to file and if you don't upgrade in the same version. YOU CANNOT open your back up files. Sage does not want to help they want your money. I have paid them thousands of dollars over the past 15 years and now I don't want to use the same expensive software but have downgraded to a affordable version for my little business. The computer I had the version that I could open my old files on crashed during a Microsoft update. Even though I have the backups I phoned sage to see how I could get the software back to open my backups and they told me I have to pay the fee to upgrade. I do use QBO online and much prefer this program and the people their are understanding.

Pros

unable to comment as 9 out 10 times does not work

Cons

if we are paying for a service we should not wait day to access the sevice

Pros

Sage is regularly updating and improving their software. There are many ways that you can make mistakes, but if you know what you are doing it is generally easy to fix said mistakes. The reports are a life saver when it comes time to do taxes or if I simply need to review something on an account.

Cons

You will want at least a very basic accounting knowledge before trying to use this software if you are starting from scratch.

Pros

We do like that it makes vendor and contractor management easy. We are able to pull data to review past pay history easily and pull these items into a report rather quickly as well.

Cons

It is not user friendly and not easy to train someone. There are many reports to pull but you have to know exactly which boxes to select and missing one can throw off the entire report. It does not read easily.

Pros

The dashboard feature makes using the software and locating specific functions relatively easy. Invoicing, accounts receivables and accounts payables is straightforward. Program is cheaper than other larger accounting programs.

Cons

Inventory management features are very limited, pricing options are limited. Designed really for small, basic use . Limited customization abilities. You now have to upgrade and pay for upgrade every year because it is on cloud. Customer service is horrible, very rarely can solve any problems and wait times are very long.

Pros

It is very easy in everything, layout, finding a feature and above all, the customer service. Love it

Cons

I have not found much that I do not like about Sage 50 cloud, very easy in everything

Alternatives Considered

SAP Business One

Pros

I like the features and the capabilities. Sage 50 can do so much if you can figure out how to use it.

Cons

When I need help the most...its just not there. I can call support and be on hold for over an hour to not get a solution. Chat support only links me to articles in the knowledge base...that still don't always solve my problem. All we want is a person to help and hear the problems we are having and GENUINELY want to help. All we get is someone reading a script and not listening and answering DIRECT questions. Its so frustrating to not be heard.